The John Cage Trilogy – Inspired by Hidekazu Yoshida’s interpretations of Japanese Haiku poetry, John Cage formed a trilogy of his existing works honoring the essence of the poetry. Atlas Eclipticalis (1961), the first piece in the trilogy, represents nirvana. Variations IV (1963), the second work, represents samsara—the turmoil of everyday life. 0’00” (1962), the third piece, represents individual action. Simple Harmonic Motion Records is proud to be the first to present a realization of Cage's trilogy on record.

This album presents realizations of famous indeterminate and graphic music scores from what became known as "The New York School." The term refers to a circle of composers in the 1950s, which included John Cage, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown, and Christian Wolff. Their music influenced the music and events of the Fluxus group. It drew its name from Abstract Expressionist painters working in New York City, including Jackson Pollock, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, and Franz Kline. The group famously gathered at The Cedar Bar in Greenwich Village in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, New York School artists collaborated with several choreographers/dancers, including Merce Cunningham, Simone Forti, Anna Halprin, Martha Graham, and Paul Taylor.